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CNN Live At Daybreak
Hope Dim for Future of Snared Right Whale
Aired June 27, 2001 - 08:49 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: We are tracking this dramatic rescue of this right whale off the coast of Massachusetts, and right now, it is not looking good. Yesterday, scientists tried to tranquilized the whale so they could try to get this embedded fishing line out of it jaw. The fishing line is causing an infection that now looks like it may end up claiming that whale's life.
CNN's environment correspondent Natalie Pawelski has more on what's at stake here.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NATALIE PAWELSKI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Right whales are the most endangered of the great whales, among the most endangered of any big mammal anywhere on the face of the Earth.
CHRIS SLAY, NEW ENGLAND AQUARIUM: This is our white rhino, this is our giant panda.
PAWELSKI: Best estimates put the Northern Right Whale population between 320 and 340 whales. Researchers say every animal is precious, maybe not essential to the species' survival, but close to it. The whale entangled off Massachusetts is a male of breeding age, probably a father, certainly a potential contributor to the future of the species. A 50-ton giant done in by a fishing line, an echo of the right whales' history.
(on camera): Right whales got their names from whalers, who considered them the right whale to hunt. They were full of blubber, slow moving, and stayed close to shore. All of that is still true today. And they are still in harm's way.
(voice-over): Living close to shore, and so, close to humans they are the urbanites of the whale world. In the winter, mothers nurse their one-ton newborns near the busy ports and military bases of Florida and Georgia. their annual migration takes them across the shipping lanes and fishing grounds of the Northeastern U.S.
Right whales have only one real predator, unintentional, but deadly all the same: people. The number one cause of death for these animals, including at least two newborns so far this year: being hit by ships.
SLAY: We're the wealthiest, most powerful nation in the world and here we have one of the most endangered populations of large mammals in the world right out our back door, and I think that it would be a shame if, 100 years from now, this population became extinct because we didn't give it our all.
PAWELSKI: There are other whales in the sea, dozens of other species with a better chance of survival. But it was the hand of man that almost wiped out right whales in the first place. Now human hands are trying to help ensure the species' survival.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PAWELSKI: Carol, that particular effort up in Massachusetts, though, is proving really difficult. As you mentioned, the effort to sedate the whale didn't work and right, they still don't know if they'll be able to mount another rescue attempt or if they pretty much have to give up.
LIN: Now, why didn't -- why weren't they able to sedate the whale yesterday? What was the problem?
PAWELSKI: It was the first time they've ever done anything like this. I mean, normally researchers don't go running around the Atlantic darting endangered whales with sedatives. They thought it would work, it simply didn't. They darted twice with sort of a crossbow. It could be the animal's adrenaline overcame the effect of the sedative or it could be they just completely miscalculated how much sedative would be needed.
LIN: So, how much time do you think this whale has before it might succumb to the infection?
PAWELSKI: Well, the researchers are telling me it's touch-and-go at this point. The only ray of hope is that right now they were able to trim one side of the cord that's now cutting into the whale, and the cord has moved a bit. There is some small chance that the cord could work its way free, and I have seen other injured whales recover, but never one injured this badly.
LIN: So, do you think even if they were able to extract the fishing line, could they monitor the whale with antibiotics and continue this operation?
PAWELSKI: Probably not. The whale's about to continue its migration, and pretty soon will be out of range of any help once it gets beyond 100 miles. So, at that point, it will be all up to the whale whether it recovers or not.
LIN: All right, well, we will follow that. We still don't know if the researchers are going to try and attempt one more time today, but we will keep track of that.
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